News that covers Rugby League in Australia.
Are the Penrith Panthers really the most valuable sporting brand in Australia? As a Penrith Panthers supporter, I am not so sure… The Penrith Panthers have so many advantages over other sporting clubs. Some of them are just a case of being in the right place with the right set of circumstances. Others have been…
The National Rugby League has finally realised the draw for the 2014 season. The season will kick off with a couple of grudge matches and few afternoon kickoffs as officials look to avoid the warmer earlier season weather. City vs Country has been retained and the State Of Origin series will be played over 8…
Over the course of the World Cup Australian Rugby League and National Rugby League officials spent time in the UK meeting with their UK counterparts from various sporting codes. It allowed Australian officials to spend well over a month on an extended fact finding mission they normally wouldn’t have had the time to complete. Out…
He wants to break his contract early and leave the club due to family reasons. That is how Ricky Stuart spun his departure from the Parramatta Eels just a couple of months ago. Having signed a long term deal with the Eels and selling fans on his plan to rebuild the club, Stuart walked out…
Anthony Milford will not play for the Canberra Raiders ever again if he has his way. Milford told The Courier Mail in Brisbane that he was willing to sit out the 2014 NRL season ahead of his move to the Brisbane Broncos in 2015. Milford’s stance brings into question why the Canberra Raiders came out…
The NRL Integrity Unit has announced that it is investigating three separate incidents involving NRL players at three separate clubs. The Canterbury Bulldogs Reni Maitua, Newcastle Knights Russell Packer and Manly Sea Eagles Richie Fa’aoso have been involved in three separate, non related incidents over the last few days. Maitua has taken to Twitter to…
The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that the Wests Tigers could review their commitment to play games at Campbelltown Stadium in light of public comments made by Campbelltown Councillor Paul Lake about a $55,735 overdue payment by the club for stadium hiring fees. While the outstanding $55,735 has now been paid, the Wests Tigers are…
The St George/Illawarra Dragons will play less games at both Win Stadium in Wollongong and Kogarah Oval as the club looks to play more games at Sydney majors stadiums such as the Allianz Stadium, ANZ Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground the Sydney Morning Herald is reporting. The move is sure to upset Dragons supporters,…
The Gold Coast Titans are prepared to break the bank to lure Gold Coast Suns AFL player Karmichael Hunt back to Rugby League according to a News Limited report. Hunt does not come off contract until the end of 2014, the same time the Gold Coast Titans have a large amount of salary cap space…
Channel 9 has submitted a request to the NRL to show the Sydney Roosters vs South Sydney Rabbitohs on March the 6th and the Brisbane Broncos vs the Canterbury Bulldogs on March the 7th according to a report today in the Sydney Daily Telegraph. The match ups will see the defending NRL premiers led by…
Sam Burgess is unlike most English players in that his goal was to head to Australia, play in the National Rugby League and test himself against the worlds best players every single week. When he joined the South Sydney Rabbitohs he had forged a reputation for himself at test level at a very young age…
Canterbury Bulldogs center Josh Morris could head back to the St George/Illawarra Dragons according to his manager. David Riolo has told the Sydney Morning Herald that Morris will entertain a move back to the Dragons at the end of his current contract which runs through to the end of the 2014 season. There are always…
Newcastle Knights reserve grader Ryan Stig is likely to find himself in hot water over a long winded twitter rant against homosexuality and gay marriage. Stigg, who has obviously reacted to news that the ACT has passed laws allowing gay marriage, posted a Tweet on his time line expressing his views about homosexuality and gay…
The Penrith Panthers have announced that hooker James Segeyaro has extended the length of his contract and will remain at the club through until at least the end of the 2016 season. James Segeyaro had a fantastic season at the Panthers in 2013 after moving to the club from the North Queensland Cowboys. While he…
Sonny Bill Williams is staying in Rugby League for the 2014 season after committing to a one year contract extension that he will take up in February next year after a boxing match in January. Williams was expected to walk away from Rugby League again and head back to Rugby Union. His commitment to the…
Channel 9 CEO and Sydney Roosters supporter David Gyngell has told the Sydney Daily Telegraph that it is imperative that the NRL retains Sonny Bill Williams in the face of the AFL’s move Buddy Franklin to Sydney to play with AFL team the Sydney Swans. Gyngell mentioned the boost to crowds and television ratings that…
Grand Finals are won by great halfbacks. At this stage I don’t think anyone would accuse Mitchell Pearce of being a great halfback. Even in what has been an incredible season by the Sydney Roosters you haven’t seen too many people raving about the form of Mitchell Pearce. The Sydney Roosters main playmaker is James…
This season has seen some very strange decisions when it comes to handing out man of the match awards. I see a lot of people on Twitter who bet on man of the match awards blowing up over players that have dominated the game being overlooked for others who are bigger names. It happens all…
After a another dramatic weekend in the play-offs, the countdown is now on ahead of next Saturday’s NRL Grand Final between the Sydney Roosters and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles at the Olympic Stadium. Both semi-finals were true spectacles, with the Sea Eagles beating Souths, while the Roosters overcame Newcastle to set-up one of the most…
Cooper Cronk is the 2013 Dally M Player Of The Year after a very consistent season for the Melbourne Storm. The awards started off fairly slowly but things picked up once Russell Crowe stepped up to the microphone and started to had a bit to the show. Cameron Smith and Greg Inglis won a heap…
Sydney Roosters halfback Mitchell Pearce has missed the teams official Grand Final team photo after being sent home with a mystery illness. This could be catastrophic to the Roosters Grand Final preparations, then again it probably won’t be. We saw a bit of hysteria last week surrounding a supposed mystery illness to Sonny Bill Williams,…
They may call themselves “The Home Of Rugby League” but it seems at though Channel 9 are barely interesting in the game. Especially when they decide to play a promo for this weekends Grand Final on the Sunday Footy Show that features the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Newcastle Knights! That’s right! Footy Show viewers…
Investors in the Cronulla Sharks property development may be willing to provide an advanced payment to the club of up to $10 million, a figure that would allow the club to pay off its current bank debt and that could be used to pay any possible fine that comes out of the ASADA investigation. The…
Manly Sea Eagles back rower Glenn Stewart is free to play in the 2013 Grand Final despite being charged for a high tackle on Sam Burgess in the Sea Eagles semi final win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Stewart was charged with a grade one careless high tackle which carries a 75 point penalty. With…
Speculation is rife that Wayne Bennett has coached his last game at the Newcastle Knights. There is talk he will be coaching the North Queensland Cowboys next season, and even suggestions he will be back at the Brisbane Broncos in 2014. It is all speculation Bennett has refused to deny. So if Wayne Bennett does…
The marketing guru’s at the National Rugby League got the Grand Final they always wanted! Two Sydney clubs facing off, both with questionably sized supporter bases. Neither of which like to travel at all. Both clubs universally hated across the game. This is how you make money people… Who doesn’t want to see Sonny Bill…
Love them or hate them, there is no denying that the South Sydney Rabbitohs are one of Rugby Leagues great markers of history. As the most successful club in Australian Rugby League history the Rabbitohs hold a special place in the games heart. The club know as the pride of the league, a team that…
I’ve just watched the Sandor Earl “tell all” interview on the Footy Show. It was a really good interview that took you through the process Sandor Earl went through from his introduction to Stephen Dank at the Penrith Panthers right through to his suspension by the NRL. I won’t go into all of the facts…
The NRL wants you to know that everyone has been cleared. Nothing happened! You can all settle down because what ever is alleged to be going on, it has nothing to do with Rugby League. No one in Rugby League cheats. Its got to be something else. Someone outside of the game trying to infiltrate…
Sam Tomkins has finally announced that he is on his way to the New Zealand Warriors next season. The deal which runs for three years, and makes Tomkins one of the highest paid players in the game, cost the New Zealand Warriors $1.2 million. This is a huge commitment by the Warriors. One a club…